Wasn't Meant to Be

            "Thanks mom!" Ash beamed at his fortune.

            "Yeah, thanks Ms. Ketchum!" Misty laughed, and then turned to Ash with a mischievous grin, "I knew you'd never get me a bike--see? Your poor mom had to do it!"

            "Hey," Ash puffed himself up as he felt indignant, "give me some credit here! I'm the one who told her you were following me around because I trashed your bike!"

            "Oh, there's initiative," Misty shook her head and put her hands on her hips as she eyed her friend in facetious disgust.

            "Quit fighting and just try it out," Brock shook his head as his arms were crossed. "I bet you're dying to."

            "It is a sweet bike," Misty grinned as she ran her fingers over the metallic red paint once again, as well as taking a moment to fiddle with the multiple gears which shifted by twisting the handlebars.

            "You really only should change gears while riding," Delia warned, smiling warmly as Misty appeared appreciative of her gift. "It's not good for the chain."

            "Sorry!" Misty blinked and stepped away from the bike for a moment as if she were going to kill it, "I didn't know!"

            "Don't worry hon," Delia walked over and patted her back. "Just take Brock's advice and go have fun with it!"

            Misty could hardly contain herself as she rolled the rubbery-scented bike down the Ketchum house door and let its front wheel lightly bounce onto the cement of the driveway below.

            "Toki?" Togepi looked up at her quizzically, popping up from its nap in her backpack.

            "Wanna go for a ride Togepi?" Misty asked, a mischievous look crossing her face as she wondered what Togepi would think of flying through the streets on her hot new wheels.

            Ash, Brock and Delia stood outside the door and watched as Misty tore down the street, laughing as the wind wrestled with her hair. She stood up and pedaled while standing, leaning forward and changing gears to gain more speed.

            "I feel like I could go join Nascar," she laughed, whirling around toward the house again as it began to fade in the distance. "It's been so long since I've had a bike!"

            Misty threw her head back with glee as the ride back was slightly downhill and she gained even more speed. "Yes!"

            You've been stuck by, a radio could be heard, and Misty looked behind her as the sound of it drew nearer.

            "Huh?" she gasped.

            A smooth criminal, the song continued, even louder as the truck was nearly on top of Misty.

            So she did the only thing she could think of doing.

            She bailed.

            Into a clump of bushes.

            Brakes were hit and tires squealed, but as the truck spun out into the road leaving thick bad skid marks along its path, it was too late.

            "Misty!" the trio who had been watching screamed, all at once.

            The owner of the car parked it hastily, jutting out into the middle of the street from a random driveway.

            "Oh damn," the owner of the truck muttered as he raced to the spot where his victim had landed, "oh damn oh damn oh damn oh--"

            "My," Misty sputtered, shakily finding her land legs as she pried herself out of the bushes she had bailed into. "My bike!"

            Ash, Brock and Delia had caught up to them at that point and were stunned and what had stoked Misty's anger the most.

            "You," she breathed heavily, her arms shaking as she balled her hands into fists. "You wrecked my bike!"

            "I'm sorry!" the bewildered driver held up his hands in surrender, "I'm really sorry! Are you hurt? Maybe you shouldn't be standing!"

            "Oh, I'll show you HURT!" Misty shouted, and then lunged for her assailant's throat.

            "Whoa girl," Brock took the initiative and dashed out to grab Misty before she could strangle anyone's life out, "don't get yourself more hurt than you already are."

            "Hurt?" Misty writhed in anger as she pointed to the warped mass of metal which her bike had become. "I'm not hurt! It's my poor bike!"

            "I'll get you a new one," the bike's murderer assured.

            "I've heard that one before!" Misty spat, "I didn't believe it before and I'm not gonna believe it now, especially coming from you!"

            "Ha ha," Ash seemed to find the situation a bit humorous, "I can't blame her for that one Gary!"

            "You shut-up, loser," Gary barked at Ash, and then turned back to Misty. "Look, really, I'm sorry--"

            "Come inside and apologize," Brock ordered, picking Misty up fireman-style at the waist, "she's a little scratched up right now. C'mon, Misty, let mama-Brock take care of you."

            "Man," Misty grumbled, "I thought I was rid of Neosporin forever when I moved out!"

            Gary laughed nervously at her comment and got back in his car.

            "Don't worry!" he shouted to the group, "I'm just parking it better! I'm not going to ditch you all!"

            "And here I was hoping," Ash sighed.

            "That young man is a reckless driver," Delia furrowed her eyebrows and pouted as she followed the kids into the house, "I ought to tell his grandfather about this."

            "He is a teenage guy," Brock rationalized as he set Misty down on the couch. Delia glared at him with the fury that only a mother could rouse, her concern induced by the fact that Brock had recently obtained his license.

            "Well, err," Brock turned red and scratched his head nervously, "statistics show that average teenage males get in the most car accidents, but that doesn't mean that I--"

            "Brock's a good driver," Ash blurted, "Gary's just a moron."

            Brock took this opportunity to leave and gather medicines to take care of Misty's multiple scratches.

            "Now Ash," Delia scolded, "don't you talk about other people like that behind their backs. What did your father tell you?"

            Ash blinked. "Uh, he's dead."

            "Oh yeah," Delia laughed, "I just watched Bambi earlier today. Well, what did Thumper's father tell him?"

            "That he gots to eat the greens and not just the blossoms?"

            "No!" A vein in Delia's temple began to throb, "that if you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say it at all!"

            "But then he'd never talk," Misty offered, only to receive a glare. "Sorry."

            "I want you all to adhere to that rule," Delia began lecturing, "it's good advice and it'll make you a better person. After a while you won't have any urges--"

            "Whoa," Gary's eyes widened as he walked in the door, "did I come in at a bad time?"

            Brock's face turned red as he tried to suppress his laughter. Misty's face turned red as the person she was infuriated with was within firing range. Delia's face turned red as it sounded as if she was saying something that was a little risqué. Ash's face turned red because he suddenly forgot where he left pikachu.

            "You all look pretty embarrassed," Gary bit his lip, "maybe I should wait outside?"

            "No no no," Delia laughed nervously, "I was just telling them they gots ta eat the greens and--I mean, that they shouldn't say anything nice if they can't say anything at all, I mean--"

            "Don't worry about it," Gary shook his head. "It's none of my business."

            "Yeow!" Misty shouted, as Brock had taken the opportunity of diversion to put some iodine over a cleansed gash on her knee. "Brock!"

            "Now Misty," Brock wagged a finger at her, "you don't want it to get infected later, do you?"

            "He's right, Misty," Delia agreed, "an pound of prevention is worth an ounce of cure."

            "Ugh," Misty winced, "I'm having a flashback from early childhood."

            "I'm having flashbacks from Sailor Moon," Ash raised an eyebrow, "mom, you ever heard of Minako? Huh?"

            "Have you been going through my Shojo anime again?" Delia asked, obviously angered. "I've told you a thousand times, not without my permission!"

            "Uh," Gary interrupted, "Misty, how much was that bike? I want to repay you."

            "You can never repay the moment!" Misty sat up suddenly and pointed angrily at Gary. "My happiness when I got that new bike can never be given back!"

            "Whoa girl," Brock pushed Misty back down and put some Neosporin on a scratch on her head, "simma down nah."

            "In other words," Delia answered, "five hundred dollars."

            "Five hund--" Gary staggered backwards, "how could she afford that!"

            "My gifts are always of high quality!" Delia snorted.

            "It was a present?" Gary's face fell. "Dang, I'm a bastard without even trying. Shoot, I dunno how I'll get--I wonder if gramps will loan me the money?"

            "He already paid for half of the first one," Delia burst his bubble.

            "Gramps?" Gary blinked. "He never got me a new bike for two hundred fifty dollars!"

            "Well I asked nicely," Delia bit her lip. "But seriously, it was to make up for the fact that my son wrecked her first bike."

            "Grrreat," Gary slapped his forehead.

            "Look at it this way, Misty," Brock tried to keep her pinned since she was bent on jumping up and pile-driving Gary, "you just weren't meant to have a bike. You just weren't. It wasn't meant to be."

            Gary stood in silence, knowing it would be rude to leave, but also knowing he really couldn't make up the cost of the bike.

            "Stay for dinner, hon," Delia offered to Gary. "We'll think of something then. Brock, you don't mind cooking for one more, right?"

            "I'm cooking dinner tonight?" Brock looked at Delia puzzledly, and stopped wiping hydrogen peroxide on Misty's arm for a moment.

            Delia ignored his inquiry and continued talking to Gary. "I can call your grandpa over for dinner, and we can discuss your driving habits, Gary, I'm worried that--"

            "No no no no no!" Gary begged, "I'll change, I swear! I'll join MAAD, just don't tell him! He'll take away my keys!"

            "Well," Delia considered, "I won't tell this once. But you'd better think of a way to make this up to poor Misty. She was really enjoying that bike, you know."

            "Yeah!" Misty snapped up, only to receive a nice bit of Neosporin in her armpit.

            "I told you not to move," Brock shook his head.

            "Ewww," Misty cringed, "that's gonna take off my deodorant, isn't it?"

            "Allllmost done," Brock tsked, "just one more bandage--"

            Misty held completely still as Brock placed the last band-aid on her ankle, then she jumped up in relief.

            "Woo hoo!" she shouted, then quickly balled up and sat back down on the couch. "Ow?"

            "All those bandages are gonna snap off if you go monkey wild, Misty," Brock shook his head in disapproval. "Take it easy for a while, you don't wanna get more bruised than you already are."

            "You'd better get cooking, Brock," Delia advised, "these kids are gonna be hungry soon."

            "What?" Brock pouted, then grumbled as he marched into the kitchen. "I feel like such a housewife."

            Delia sat at the end of the couch, the opposite end of Misty, and patted the seat next to her.

            "Have a seat, Gary," she smiled.

            "She'll kill me!" Gary argued.

            "That's right," Misty muttered while cracking her knuckles.

            "Now Misty," Delia tried to calm her down. "You be nice now, we're going to try and work things out, all righty?"

            "Yeah," Misty curled her lip, and then began grumbling.

            Gary bit the bullet and sat between the two, but sat up as straight as possible, his hands folded onto his lap. He never thought he'd see the day when he'd be sitting between his rival's mom and a girl he nearly killed with his car. But then again, it's not really something he ever pondered in the first place.

            "So," he gulped, "Misty. I know you hang around with the l--Ash, but I've never really talked to you."

            "Maybe it's because you were too busy making fun of Ash," Misty suggested.

            "Errr," Gary's face fell as Delia's head turned, "I was just teasing him. He knows that."

            "No I don't," Ash blinked from his spot of seclusion on the recliner in the corner. "You were just teasing, Gary? Oh, that makes me feel a lot better! We can talk about fun things like our favorite pokemon now when we meet up!"

            "Errr, yeah," Gary feigned a smile.

            "Oh, it's nice to see you boys get along!" Delia clasped her hands together. "I think I'll go see how Brock is doing with dinner!"

            "Hey Misty," Ash looked up at her just as her hands were ready to go around Gary's throat. "Wasn't Togepi in your backpack?"

            Misty just stared at Ash a moment, and then opened her mouth. But it took a few seconds for something to come out.

            "Aiiiiieeeeeeeeeee!" Misty screamed, then made a dash for the door. "My backpack must have come off when I jumped into that bush! I am SUCH an IDIOT!"

            "I'll help you look for it!" Gary and Ash offered, and ran outside with her, Pikachu hot on their heels. Ash was lucky Pikachu was like a cat--got lost sometimes, but always came back.

            Misty ran to the bush she had fallen in, despite the fact that her bruises and scrapes began to sting as she did so.

            Her backpack lye on the ground, a few inches away from where she had landed.

            "It must have come off," she sniffled, extremely worried since the bag wasn't moving. She kneeled down and reached over to grab it, but pulled her hand away before she could, standing back up and burying her face in her hands.

            "I can't do it," she whispered, her voice shaky. "I--I can't."

            Ash opened up the bag and peered inside, almost as wary as Misty.

            "There's nothing in the bag," Ash breathed a sigh of relief.

            "It must have escaped," Gary breathed a sigh of relief as well.

            "Pikachu!" Ash grabbed his pokemon, "will you sniff around and find togepi for us?"

            "Pika," Pikachu replied, and then ran off to the left.

            "I'll check in the other direction," Gary coughed, and then sauntered off towards the right.

            While pikachu had taken off quite a distance, Gary shuffled around the bush that Misty had landed on, in case Togepi was still there.

            After his attempt proved futile, he moved on to a bush right next to it, receiving multiple thin cuts on the palms of his hands as he did so.

            "Ohhh no," he froze in place as he could see Misty's precious little pokemon lying flat on its face.

            "Togepi," he whispered, sweating all the while. He prodded the pokemon with his finger, seeing if it was just sleeping.

            It didn't move.

            "She's really gonna kill me," he winced. He stood up, still able to see Togepi's still body in the bush.

            Maybe if I kick it far away, Gary thought frantically, she'll think it ran away!

            Gary lifted his foot to give Togepi the boot.

            "Priii?" it cried, obviously unhappy.

            "Ohhhh," Gary clutched his stomach as his heart began pounding severely, "I'm such a moron! Good thing it made a noise before I--"

            But Gary didn't want to think about it. He gently leaned over and picked up Togepi, cradling it in his arms.

            "There there little Omelet," he sighed, and wrapped it up in his arms, "Uncle Gary's gotcha."

            Gary turned around quickly as a sobbing, sniffling sound drew nearer.

            "Misty!" Gary shouted, almost raising his arms. Shoot, can't drop it now!

            "Gary?" Misty's eyes widened, and she cried even more as she ran up to him. "You found it! Oh, thank you!"

            Gary smiled as Misty hugged him quickly, then grabbed Togepi from his arms and cradled it to her chest.

            "I'm so glad the little Eggo is all right," Gary blurted.

            "You'd BETTER be glad," Misty shook her head and gritted her teeth, "I would have had your balls for breakfast if it wasn't all right!"

            "I deserved that," Gary deferred.

            "Let's just get back to the house," Ash groaned, "Pikachu and I need a lot of food after that. Right, Pikachu?"

            "Pikapi?" Pikachu looked at Ash as if he were a madman.

            "Ugh," Misty clutched her sides, "now that the adrenalin is gone, all those scratches are coming back to haunt me when I move."

            "Then let me help you with that," Gary bowed a little and held out his arm, then walked over to Misty and put one arm under her knees and one arm near her shoulders and lifted her up.

            "Hey, put me down!" she shouted, ready to pitch a fit, but Gary had been particularly gentle when he picked her up, and it did feel better than hobbling.

            "I was just trying to help," he replied, and then nearly set her on her feet.

            "Well," Misty spoke quickly, "I guess you can, since you owe it to me and all."

            "All right then," Gary shrugged, and the three made their way back to the house.

            Misty was very rigid in Gary's arms, and scolded herself as she noticed how his neck smelled faintly of a very nice cologne, and for noticing that he carried her so delicately that it was almost as if she were just floating to the door.

            Ash threw the door open quite unceremoniously, and strutted in to the lingering scent of food.

            "Whoa," Brock did a double take as they walked in, although Gary could have done the same as Brock stood clad in a frilly pink apron and a rather femme bandana, but only one would double take at a time. And plus Gary was carrying Misty. Double taking would alter his perfect balance.

            "This is sure a switch," Brock continued. "So did you two make up?"

            "Ohhh no," Misty grinned widely, clutching Togepi and one arm and grabbing Gary by the chin, "his punishment is just beginning. And I think I know the perfect way he can pay me back."

            "Oh," Gary gulped, "you do?"

            "You're going to be my personal slave," she shook his face by the chin, "for a week." Gary was about to protest when Misty continued, "unless, of course, you'd rather buy me a new five hundred dollar bike!"

            "Slave it is!" Gary proclaimed loudly, and then put Misty down gently on the sofa.

            "Good," Misty put her hands behind her head. "The first thing you can do is take Togepi and put her to bed. Then you can carry me to the table for dinner."

            Oh damn, Gary began to sweat as he bit his lip and followed Misty's orders; she's a slave driver! I wish I held off on getting my license a couple of years!

            "You're a cruel, cruel woman," Brock shook his head.

            "Quiet," Misty snapped her fingers at him, "before I find a way to make you my slave too."

            "Only if it's a sex slave," Brock licked his lips.

            Misty pursed her lips and grabbed a pillow from the sofa and threw it at him.

            "C'mon," Brock grinned, "one night with Brock the Rock and you'll never turn back."

            Misty was about to leap up and pummel him when Gary came back and was about to lift her from the sofa.

            "Gary," Misty held up a finger, "before we eat, I order you to kill him." She pointed at Brock.

            Gary looked at her. Then he looked to Brock. Then he looked to her again.

            "Okay!" he shrugged, and cracked his knuckles as he walked up to Brock.

            "Eep!" Brock shouted, and then ran into the kitchen.

            Misty laughed hysterically as Gary and Brock warred.

            "You kids knock it off!" Delia ordered from the kitchen, "dinner is ready!"

            "Better go get Misty," Gary realized, and forgot about his order to kill Brock. He returned to the living room where Misty was sprawled out on the sofa.

            "Soup's on," he announced, and then lifted her up once again.

            Ash and Pikachu were already sitting at the table, Ash holding his utensils up hungrily. Pikachu was satiated by some ketchup packets Delia had saved for it, however.

            "Here ya go," Gary announced, and sat Misty down at a chair next to Ash, then he sat on the other side of her.

            "Isn't that sweet?" Delia smiled while she put the bowls of food on the table. "They've made up."

            "He tried to kill me!" Brock complained as he placed plates in front of everyone.

            Gary pretended to try and bite his hand as he set his plate down. Misty giggled, though Brock was little more than freaked out.

            Brock made sure to sit next to Ash so that Delia would have to sit next to Gary.

            Ash made sure that he and Pikachu got first share of the soup and the dumplings.

            "I want a little of all of it," Misty ordered Gary.

            Gary raised an eyebrow, now realizing that he'd have to perform every menial task that Misty wished. "Okay," he curled his lip and gingerly grabbed a bit of everything to place on her plate with chopsticks, then grabbed her a bowl of soup.

            "Anything else ya want?" Gary frowned.

            "That'll do, pig," Misty patted Gary on the head and dug in to her food. "That'll do."

            "Pig?" Gary shook his head as he began putting food on his own plate.

            "So," Delia smiled brightly, trying to start conversation, "I was working on my garden this morning, and this beedrill looked as if it were really hungry and it flew right above my head, but luckily Mimey was here and he put up a barrier and the beedrill just ran into it. I felt kind of bad when it just lye fainted on the ground, so I called the local Pokemon shelter to pick it up. All while you three were asleep!"

            "Wow, mom," Ash blinked, "you should have caught it!"

            "Oh no no no," Delia laughed, "I'll leave the pokemon training to you, Ash."

            "I dunno, Ms. Ketchum," Brock nudged her with his elbow, "maybe you can give him a run for his money to be pokemon master!"

            Delia laughed and nudged Brock back, "oh, don't be silly! I couldn't!"

            "Or maybe you could," Brock grinned.

            "No no no," Delia giggled.

            "God," Misty's face fell. "Are they--"

            "Flirting?" Gary finished for her.

            Ash looked up, a pile of noodles hanging from his stuffed mouth. He swallowed it in a panic, and nearly started choking to death.

            Gary started laughing his head off, but Delia began to panic.

            "Don't worry Ms. Ketchum!" Brock stood up, "I'll save him!"

            Brock ran over and lifted Ash from his chair, giving him the Heimlich maneuver very skillfully. Ash waved his arms in the air as his face began to turn purple, but finally met relief as a wad of noodles flew from his mouth onto the wall.

            Brock and Delia's eyes met, then turned away.

            "Mimey!" they both shouted in unison.

            Ash didn't feel like eating much after hacking noodles up onto the wall, and the others didn't feel like eating much either, so they all returned to the sanctity of the living room.

            Gary carried Misty, of course. And they all took their respective places on the couch.

            "Gary," Delia looked up at him, "isn't it kind of late? Shouldn't you be getting home?"

            "Oh," Gary laughed relievedly, then strung a lie, "you're right! Gramps will get pissed if--"

            "Can't he stay the night with us?" Misty grinned deciptively. "I mean, Brock's staying, I'm staying, why not just have one big sleepover?"

            Please no please no please no, Gary cringed to himself, hoping Delia would have the common sense to say hell no.

            "Well," she contemplated, "I don't see why not! You kids have a good time."

            Gary's entire countenance fell as Misty grinned devilishly, and Delia picked up the channel changer and put it on some soap-opera like show.

            "Oh no," Ash cringed, "she can even find these in the dead of night."

            "Not soap operas," Misty snorted. "Come on, Gary, take me upstairs. I want to play video games. But you have to let me win."

            She'll never stop, he sighed, and resigned himself to carrying her upstairs to play video games.

            Gary set Misty down in front of the TV, and he even placed the first controller in her hands. At the time the Playstation is what was hooked up.

            "Put in Populous," Misty ordered. "I can't beat this one level. You have to help me with it."

            "What makes you think I can help you with it?" Gary rolled his eyes.

            "Just shut up and do as I command," Misty commanded.

            "A'ight," Gary grumbled, resisting an urge to roll his eyes and go home.

            She turned the game on, and she was on a very difficult level.

            "You're doing it all wrong," Gary pointed out, "you gotta create lots of balloons and firewarriors and priests, then you set up the firewarriors along the edges and put priests between them. Priests from the other side will try and convert the fire warriors, but they won't be able to. Anyone else will then be converted by your priests."

            "Wow," Misty blinked as she restarted the level to try out Gary's plan, "that's a good idea! I usually just try to build an army and smite their asses."

            "That's why it's a strategy game," Gary sighed.

            "So why do you play it?" Misty looked at him, leaving her poor followers to get picked off for a moment.

            "Who wouldn't want to play a game where you get to pillage and plunder everyone in the solar system who doesn't worship you and eventually become a God?" Gary asked, as if the answer were so obvious.

            "Wow," Misty blinked, "that's why I play it too." She softly agreed.

            "Priii!" Togepi whined, waking up from where Gary had placed it on Ash's bed.

            "Shoot," Misty said, "Gary, play my game for a minute while I feed it."

            "No prob," Gary grinned, in a mood for some ass smiting.

            "Toki toki!" Togepi waved its arms happily as Misty sat on the bed and reached into her bag for some food.

            "Here ya go," Misty cooed, then poured out some food into a small bowl and set Togepi in front of it.

            "I'd be pissed if some chick put pokemon food on my bed," Gary mentioned while placing a volcano in the middle of his enemy's village.

            "What Ash doesn't know won't hurt him," Misty replied, bearing a smile which dripped with evil.

            Misty waddled back over to where the TV compelled her and watched Gary at work.

            "Wow," she blinked, "you're really good."

            "I try to get as much practice in becoming a god as I can," he joked.

            Misty laughed. "I bet you do."

            Gary continued playing until the level was beaten. "Wanna go for a walk?" he asked, stretching his arms into the air, "playing video games always makes me antsy."

            "Only if you carry me," Misty stated the rules.

            "Eh," Gary pretended to complain, "you're a little heavy, but it gives my arms exercise."

            Misty responded in kind by smacking Gary over the head.

            "I am very light!" she pouted. "There's nothing heavy about me!"

            "Except maybe your head!" Gary laughed.

            "Why, you're one to talk!" Misty growled, then jumped on top of Gary and began pounding him into submission.

            "All right, all right!" Gary yelled, "uncle! Aunt Jemima! Just get off me, you crazy!"

            "That's RIGHT!" Misty flexed as she gloated Gary's defeat, "you gotta show some respect!"

            "Let's just get out of here," Gary shook his head then got to his feet after shutting off the video game.

            Misty stood up as well, and Gary lifted her into the air.

            "You don't really have to carry me our whole walk," she smiled, "I was just teasing."

            "Well," Gary began walking toward the front door, "I owe it to ya."

            "And Ash'll have fun finding Togepi playing in a bowl of food in his bed," Misty contemplated.

            "I can hear him now," Gary thought about it as well, "'oh geez, Misty! Grrr. Okay, Mimey! Get in here!'"

            Misty laughed at Gary's Ash impression. "I doubt that boy has ever cleaned anything for himself."

            "Why should he when he has slaves like you and Brock?" Gary asked.

            "You!" Misty grumbled, then began pounding Gary.

            "Hey hey," Gary warned, "you don't want me to drop you, do ya?"

            "Hmph," Misty snorted, then folded her arms over her chest.

            They passed the living room, and the soap opera was still on TV. Brock and Delia were hugging as they cried over it, and Ash had taken to playing poker with Pikachu and Mimey.

            Gary just shook his head in disbelief, and carried Misty out the back door completely unnoticed.

            "Where we goin'?" Misty asked.

            "Oh," Gary thought a moment, "I just thought we'd go chill down at the water for a little while."      

            "Sounds nice," Misty took a deep breath. "It'll be nice to soak my feet for a little while. And then you can massage them."

            "Huh?" Gary's eyes widened.

            "Just kidding," Misty grinned devilishly.

            "I don't think I deserve that much torture," Gary joked.

            "My feet are beautiful," Misty pouted, "and you'd be lucky if I gave your hands the honor of touching them!"

            "Down, Fido," Gary scolded, "or no biscuit for you!"

            "Why, you!" Misty shouted, then began flailing and pounding and grabbing at Gary's collar and trying to kill him in general.

            "What are you doing?" the unfazed Gary kept walking, "trying to tenderize me and then strip me down? If you wanted that kind of slavery you just had to ask."

            "Now you sound like Brock!" Misty retorted, blushing a little as she folded her arms over her chest once again.

            "What," Gary looked at her with a fake quizzical countenance, "you tried to strip him naked too?"

            "Gary Oak," Misty turned red in anger, "you're such a--such a--"

            "Person really good at torturing you?" he finished for her.

            "I wasn't going to say it in so many words," Misty looked to the sky, "but--yes."

            "I try," Gary laughed, "though I really didn't try to wreck your bike with my car. That'll teach me to change CD's while I'm driving."

            "I sure hope it does," Misty agreed.

            Gary's arms were just about to give up when they finally reached the water's edge. He always could have just had Misty walk, but he didn't want to make it seem as if he wasn't strong enough to carry her the whole way.

            "Ahhh," Misty closed her eyes half way with pleasure as she kicked off her shoes and slid them into the water. She sifted mud between her toes and jumped a little each time the water rolled in and hit mid calf. She laid backwards and closed her eyes.

            Gary put his feet in the water as well, but he supported himself on his arms and stayed sitting up and watched the stars.

            "So I take it you like the water?" he grinned wryly as he asked.

            "Love it," Misty replied, still lying out and soaking in the night waves. "I love the water and I love water pokemon. You know there are more water types than any other type of pokemon?"

            "Really?" Gary humored her. "Which is your favorite?"

            "Tentacruel," Misty answered easily, "it's not the strongest water type, but it can learn a great move set, and it can learn barrier to make up for its defensive weakness."

            "Wow," Gary blinked, impressed with her knowledge, "you're really serious about water pokemon, aren't you?"

            "You bet," Misty grinned, "someday I wanna be the world's greatest water pokemon trainer. And I will, too."

            "I don't doubt it," Gary replied.

            "So," Misty opened her eyes to view the stars, "what do you really want to do?"

            "Right now I'm trying to be a pokemon master," he began, "but then again I don't like that idea because you attain the title and then what--you're done. You just defend the title. I'm the kind of person that wants more and more and never wants to be finished."

            "Sounds like even becoming a god wouldn't be good enough for you," Misty teased. "You're like Alexander the Great. He was upset after he conquered the world and there was nothing left for him to conquer."

            "I guess I'm a lot like him," Gary agreed, "except I'm not gay."

            "Really?" Misty pretended she was surprised. "And here I thought those nekkid cowboy magazines meant you were!"

            Gary turned his head and looked at her with a playful scowl of hurt. He was about to retort with some remark that would have certainly made her grow some chest hair, but he was detoured by a giant out of place wave that was heading towards them.

            "Misty!" he shouted, "get up, we're going to--"

            But he was too late--by the time Misty turned to pay attention to him, they were both merrily tumbling along the bottom of the ocean, getting totally trashed even though they weren't body surfing.

            Misty! Gary thought, flailing his arms around in search for her. He just began to drown even more as he tried to save her. He then tried to swim to the surface, but was crashing along the bottom too badly.

            Misty grabbed his hand at some point in time.

            Good! Gary felt relief as kept panicking and being even more unable to breathe, she's all right! Now I can get us out of here!

            Gary's lungs were nearly going to burst as he tried to save Misty and himself when she grabbed his back and pushed him to the surface. He began flailing madly when she yelled, "don't fight it! Relax and float!"

            Gary untensed and remained on top as the wave ebbed away and he landed on shore.

            Gary began coughing and rolling around, and Misty stood over him and tried to get him to calm down.

            "It's all right, Gary," she grabbed his hands, "it's gone now."      

            "Oh geez," Gary laughed sadly, "I'm supposed to be taking care of you today. First I wreck your bike, and now you save my life. I'll have to be your slave forever!"

            Misty ignored his comment, however, and put her head on his chest.

            "What are you doing?" Gary sputtered, trying not to go into another coughing fit.

            "I'm trying to see if you need CPR," Misty grinned.

            "Oh yeah?" Gary chortled, "well, aren't you going to order me, then?"

            "To what?" Misty lifted her head and looked at him with curiosity.

            "To kiss you."

            "Oh." Misty thought. "All right, kiss me, slave."

            "I kneel to the master," Gary proclaimed, and pulled Misty on top of him. He ran her hands through her hair in such a way that her ponytail came out, and felt as if he was letting loose what he had had pent up all day. Misty was the only girl he'd ever met who could totally subvert him. She kicked him while she was down and she was loving it.

            Too bad he was loving it too.

            Misty slid her hands around his neck as they felt up each other's mouths, and neither cared when water splashed them and soaked them from the waists down. Misty pulled on Gary's bottom lip with her lips, then began teasing the roof of his mouth with her tongue.

            "Aren't we going a little far on the first kiss?" Gary stopped her, though he really didn't want to. He just wanted to hear her reaction.

            "Shut up," Misty ordered, then kissed him again, "I really own you now."

            "Once again," Gary laughed, pulling away again much to Misty's dismay, "I kneel to the master."

            They made out for what had to be the good portion of an hour before either spoke again. They caught up on their breathing a moment, and Misty looked down at Gary's face, her hair strewn randomly around her own and falling into his.

            "You look really sexy like that," Gary pointed out.

            Misty retorted by simply licking his nose. Then a contemplative look came over her face.

            "What is it?" Gary asked while brushing a stray strand of hair from her mouth.

            "I was just thinking," she smiled at him, "I lost a bike today, but I gained someone who can drive me anywhere in his car--which is better--and a slave for life."

            "I've just kissed the devil, haven't I?" Gary smirked.

            "That's it," Misty raised an eyebrow, "just for that you have another hour of kissing to do."

            "Yeth mathter," Gary deferred in an Igor-like voice.